You can have (at least) two attitudes about parties: 1. They are always a waste of resources, since that’s what partying is all about. Or 2. They help to foster friendships and put people in a better mood. Perhaps the best thing is that fun and sustainability simply balance each other out, in a way. However, these tips will help you to have a real eco–friendly party.
As trivial as it sounds, start from the location by sending a route description to your party venue in advance. Warn of the need for a parking space, then there is a better chance that many guests will use public transport. Provide information about timetables and travel times for public transport and think also of tips for beautiful cycle paths. In this way, nobody will have to spend the evening in traffic jams.
And now let us come to the most important issue – waste. Party garbage is first of all a cost, secondly it takes a lot of work, and thirdly when huge sacks leave for the landfill, our environmental conscience suffers. In order to make our planet happy, avoid rubbish, banish plastic cutlery as well as disposable crockery. A sustainable party idea is reusable tableware, which you can rent from friends and neighbors, but also from special rental companies, which you can find on the internet. There you can also find some inspiration to decorate your place using everyday or natural products, so you won’t have to throw away store-bought plastic decorations.
You can emphasize that you are organizing an eco–friendly party by choosing a specific theme. How about a Zero Waste party or a Dress Swap party? There are no limits to your ideas, as long as the motto is respected. For example, guests can bring some of their favourite snacks in order to share them with others. In this way you set your friends a small challenge – and you may also discover new dishes.
At a dress swap party, the guests bring along sorted out clothes that another guest might still like. You could have a fun night trying on your friends’ clothes – and you could get some nice new outfits!
No good party without good food. Avoid traditional party snacks such as industrial chips and other processed food, and serve fresh bread and local vegetable chips instead. Healthy finger food saves work and rinsing water – and it will also add a pop of colour to your buffet. Alternatively, you can make cooking together an activity during the party and give your friends a list of ingredients to buy, specifying that they must be organic, local and seasonal.